Dmitri Zaikin, who in March 1960 was chosen with Yuri Gagarin as one of the Soviet Union's first cosmonauts but who never flew into space, died Sunday (Oct. 20) after an extended illness. He was 81.

"The bright memory of Dmitri Zaikin forever remains in the hearts of colleagues, friends, and loved ones," officials at the Yuri Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center in Star City, Russia, stated in a release on Monday. "Dmitri had a great experience and knowledge of space technology."

Selected among the first 20 Soviet Air Force pilots to train as a cosmonaut, Zaikin was recruited in the same class as Gagarin, who on April 12, 1961 became the world's first person to fly in space.